Apple is letting companies make 3.5mm to Lightning cables now

Accessory makers in Apple's Made-for-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) licensing program now have the ability to create new types of products as the company adds specs for a Lightning to 3.5mm output cable and USB-C ports.

What the new MFi specifications mean (as first reported by 9to5Mac) is that you'll be able to continue using wired headphones with your iPhone without having to use an unsightly dongle - you'll just plug a single cable between your headphones and your phone, like in the good old days.

Companies that are a part of the MFi program can add USB-C receptacles on officially certified Mac and iOS accessories for charging.

These news specs in no way suggest that Apple is giving up on Lightning.

They're useful additions for Apple product users, especially as the company switches more towards using USB-C - at least on its laptops.

Apple's documentation for the new specs lists battery packs and speakers as products that could benefit from using a USB-C receptacle.

While Apple's iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X have fast charging circuitry built in, they ship with regular chargers that take more than two hours to top up an iPhone 8, for example, or three for the iPhone X, as you can see in out testing video above. Unlike with Lightning receptacles, Apple does not allow the port to be used for passthrough charging or sync of an iOS device. However, there's been some recent gossip going around that the MFi logo will change soon and all the certified third-party accessories are required to modify the MFi logo on all their products in the future. This allows the users to directly connect their iPhones without requiring one of Apple's 3.5mm dongles through the Lighting.